


and as the world comes to an end (ill be there to hold your hand)

by thepsiionicy



Series: Im here to hold your hand [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, briefly, hunhan are youtubers, same with suho, shinee mentioned, yeol makes a cameo, youtuber au!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-16 22:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8119246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepsiionicy/pseuds/thepsiionicy
Summary: The beauty of modern love is it's ability to connect and flourish over wide distances that are made short by technology.  (or: Sehun doesn't know how to deal with things and has a weakness for pretty things and dimsum, luhan is pretty and comes bearing dimsum, yixing plays matchmaker, and jongin is an ashole who cares.)Ft. other cameos by the members





	1. Its hard being me (a soliloquy by oh sehun)

Sehun stares transfixed at the little bar on the export window as it ticked one second closer to being 100% done.

_I pray to GD and everything holy, please just load._

He had spent hours, _hours_ , on editing this new dance collab video. Sifting threw all of the takes to find the best ones and then matching them to the beat of the song.

 _Please_ , he begs silent as he stares stubbornly at his laptop screen. _Anytime now._ Sehun had practice in 15 minutes (and by his computer's estimate it would take at least another 45) and there was no way Sehun could miss it...

Except, he did. He also missed (read: ignored) all the texts being sent to his phone from Jongin.

 **Kim Kai 2:34 pm.**  
get your noodlely ass over here before i boil u.

_(Wow so threatening)_

Ping!

**Taemin "Press Your Number" is now public on Urboisehun with 0 views.**

_(Jongin made that up when he got high once._

_"You my boy sehunnnnnnnn"_

_"Fuck off"_

_That was the last time Sehun ever went to one of his 'Business Meetings'_ )

Triumphantly, Sehun stretched and made his way over to his pathetic excuse for a kitchen, ("it's a kitchenette" joonmyeon had once told him in a fit of motherly overbearingness), with the intent on making something edible. He had been so wrapped up in his editing that he had forgone breakfast and now it was 3pm. _Not that he could cook, and no the microwave does not count._ So he decided to head over to his favourite coffee shop. As he made his way down the stairs of his building to the lobby, Jongin appeared with a very stormy expression on his face.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit. Abort. Sehun abort.  
(Sehun has never run 8 flights of stairs as fast as he did then).

"Oh Sehun you better open this door or so help me"

"..."

"Sehun! I know you're not asleep"

For a split second, Sehun was very confused as to why his best friend for life even after death bro brorito was so angry at him. It's not like he missed any- oh.

_Shit._

"Guess what I had to say when the SM coordinator s asked me where you were!"

Right, he was supposed to go for an interview at SM to talk about signing as a lead choreographer.

_Well fuck_

"I told them you were at your brother's funeral so you better have your fake tears ready by Monday."

Sehun yanked the door open,

"Dude you are my saviour"

"This is the first and last time I make up an excuse for your sorry ass"

"Excuse you my ass is great"

"Bro, we are not having this conversation in your doorway."

"Fine but the next time you bring my ass into it, there will be consequences."

_("Sehun"_

_"Yeah"_

_"Shut the fuck up"_

_"Rude")_

Five hours later found sehun thoroughly exhausted after playing Jongin at Mario Kart. _("Dude you're a beast")_. Once he had left, sehun opened his account and checked the response to his video. His 4M following made him relatively famous and majority of his fans were girls screaming about how good he looked doing some move or another.

 **Seasehunstar126**  
Oppppppaaaa~ shpuldnt do those moves. My heart might burst

**McYeol61**

Omygod oppppppaaaa~ u owe me twenty dollars bitch.

_(Fuck off chanyeol)_

**bBandstarz27**  
Hottttt. I wish I could go to his fans meets!!! Come to America pls.

As flattering as they were, he was always practicing so his dancing was better for himself and his fans. A notification popped up in his subscriptions box. Confused, Sehun clicked on it. _That’s odd_ , he thought to himself, _I don’t remember subscribing to anyone_. He had his reasons for that.

1) last time he checked he hadn't subscribed to any other YouTubers because that was public on his channel and he didn't want to show any bias

And

2) he wouldn't follow a beauty and life vlogger anyways.

However, he had obviously followed them for a reason so why not check them out. _As long as he doesn't like or comment on anything no one will know right?_ Wrong. He accidently clicked like after the first video cause he couldn't help it the guy was too cute and bubbly.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck_

An hour later,

**BubbleT94 is subscribed to Lu_Han7**

On a whim he had made another account because of a crazy fan incident.

I'm sorry mom.


	2. a monologue about internal struggles, co-written by Lu Han and Oh Seun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sehun mans up and jongin laughs.

The next morning, sehun woke up to the beautiful cooing of pigeons and the polluted sunshine of the big city. _Way to be positive_ , sehun thought as he shifted out of bed. But as he was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, memories of the night before came flashing back to him. He groaned in embarrassment. _How many 22 year olds can say they've stalked another YouTubers account on a private account. Not alot._ God he was embarrassed. It's not like he was attracted to the guy, ( he's straight obviously) he was just appreciating beauty...right? Right.

Flashback to sehun's thoughts at 1am last night.

_God this isn't even funny. Why does he keep asking this guy....what was his name again? Leo? Luke? Lay? Lay! Why does he keep asking this guy, lay, questions he's obviously higher than the empire state building. Man this isn't funny how does he have more subscribers than me?_

_(Except it was funny and Sehun didnt want to admit that the guy was kinda cute and wow so creative why didnt he think of that?)_

_Wow no fun YouTubers nickname i see how it is.....YouTubers these days_

_(In a moment if weakness, sehun went to change his account name. Except nah, he couldn’t think of a better name so Urboisehun will be Urboisehun until the end of time. )_

End flashback.

Twenty five minutes later found Sehun on the metro heading to work at the dance studio. He opened his phone and sifted through his usual notifications from other YouTubers or tweets, not really paying attention. One, however, caught his eye,

 **Lu_Han7 sent you a message.**  
Hi! Thanks so much for the follow and subscription!

Suddenly sehun's designer stressed jeans were very hot and belatedly he realized he had poured his coffee all of himself and man why is it so fucking hot.

"Ah fuck"

A mother and an old man (that could totally have been psy if he had Botox) gave him a dirty look. Sehun ignored them and went back to his problem. Luhan had sent him a message. Luhan the guy he watched all the videos of the night before. Who does this guy think he is?

 **BubbleT99**  
Hi....

And thus was the start to a beautiful friendship. Kinda.

They had managed to become internet friends of sorts and they chat regularly. Somehow, Luhan had broken through sehun's awkward exterior that only Jongin had managed to do (Sehun was as prickly as a cactus and as stormy as a thunderstorm. “Y’know theres probably a reason why you never collab with anyone” “Shut up asshole, I though you were my friend..”).

At some point, two months in or so to this endeavor, they exchanged numbers so they could talk easier what with Sehun working and Luhan studying and no internet in between. Sehun found out that luhan was a student at a university in China, was a part time model-

("Because look at my face, it's perfect"

Sehun couldn't bring hinself to disagree

 _Wow you can't catch me gay thoughts.....sehun.exd has stopped working_.)

-and had a large following of very dedicated (“stalkerish” luhan had once told him, shivering in memory) and loyal fans.

The only issue about this whole blooming friendship thing was the fact that Sehun had been going by the nickname Kai the entire time. It made sense in his head, he didn’t want to give away who he was; however when he heard luhan say it when he had called him, made it sound so stupid. _Thinking about it like that sounds really creepy,_ sehun thought despondently

 **Luhan ^-^ 4:33pm**  
Yknow, u should really come n visit me!

  
**Bubblebutt 4:36pm** (according to luhan, that’s how he is refered to by his roomate…lay?)  
AHHHHH yeahhhhhhh about thatttttt.....  i don't think i can....

 **Luhan^-^ 4:37pm**  
Please..

 **Luhan^-^ 4:40pm**  
Come on man were really good friends! i want to meet u. ill buy u ur ticket

(Except Sehun doesn't tell him that he’s already bought a ticket and had been planning to come down if he ever had the guts to.)

_Cause what if they can't be friends (boyfriends, his mind helpfully supplied. He shoved that thought deep deep down and ignored it) because fuck luhan thinks im Kai...._

In a very Sehun-like manner, he decides to ignore his problems, which consequently means he ignores Luhan. He pours all his energy into his dancing, he's got an upcoming performance with Shinee that he can't screw up as well as a collab he's doing with Jongin.

(And if Jongin notices how Sehun spends more time dancing than on his phone (unlike the past few months) and tackles each new move with a rigor that old sehun would never had done, he doesn't say anything.)

All the while, sehun is ignoring his phone.

 **Luhan^-^**  
Kai?

(That left a bitter taste in sehun's mouth)

 **Luhan^-^**  
I'm sorry.... Did I say something?

 **Luhan^-^**  
Please respond

And then Sehun really starts thinking and that is never good.

_Omygod luhan is really cute and funny and amazing and he sounds so sad that I'm being an ass and oh man I really want to meet him but what if he doesn't like me......fuck. I'm not gay tho......am I? Shit._

The pressure and stress of the upcoming performances and the problem with luhan begins to get to much and one late night practice, after Sehun's fifth consecutive stumble on the chorus, he loses it.

"I am SO fucking done. " He shouts as he storms to the stereo and slams down in the power button, cutting the music and Jongin mid step. Jongin eyes him warily as Sehun stands there, chest heaving.

"I am so done..." he repeats again in a quieter voice and Jongin walks over slowly.

"Let's get you some water sehun" he says tentively and wraps an arm around sehun's shoulders, leading him to where their stuff is piled at the side of the studio. The tension bleeds somewhat out of Sehun and he sits down against the wall with a sigh. Jongin slides down next to him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jongin asks hesitantly as he hands him a water bottle.

Sehun pauses in his drinking and then crumples into Jongin's side. Jongin, used to his friends breakdowns when he's stressed, waits until sehun starts speaking.

Once sehun starts talking he cant stop. He tells Jongin what's going on with the whole explanation of why he took his nickname and why he is freaking out and Jongin loses it.

"Fuck man, you took my nickname, hahahahhHa ha haHa"

"..."

"HahahHa Ha hahahahhHa Ha hahahaHa straight. Pfft sure."

"Shut up. I need help" Sehun pouts.

That sobers Jongin up quickly because Sehun is not the person to ask for help and he can see that his friend is actually really scared. No matter how much of an ass Sehun can be, he's still an anxious, scared person underneath.

"If you guys are as good as friends as you say, then Luhan should forgive you and then you go, get married and make me an uncle. "

Sehun's face, if possible gets paler and he seems even more uncomfortable. Jongin sighs.

"Look, it's gonna be fine. This isn't as big of a problem as you think it is. If Luhan has any nice bone in his body he will understand. "

 _Jongin is getting real,_ sehun realizes.

"I know, I'm just freaking out. I've never met the guy-"

"But you've spent hours on the phone with him" Jongin points out helpfully.

"Regardless , I'm still fucking scared."

With a soft expression, Jongin pulls sehun into a side hug.

"You know you're blowing this out of proportion. "

Sehun nods.

"So lets get you on that plane, and then you'll meet him and all will be well with the world. You'll get the boy of your dreams-"

"We are just friends" sehun argues

Jongin ignores him and continues,  
"A job at SM, I'll be awarded the best friend bro brorito award, and everyone will live happily ever after "

Sehun smiles slightly.

"...thanks Jongin"

"Hey man, no problem. This is why I'm here. I am studying to be a shrink"

"Jongin, you're an art history major"

"Same thing" Jongin replies dismissively

Sehun snorts and they lapse into silence.

" By the way, when does your flight leave?"

"The 25th"

"Dude, it's the 25th in an hour."

Sehun swears and scrambles to his feet. He grabs all his stuff and throws on his jacket before heading for the door. Jongin watches amused from where he is sitting.

"Goodluck man. Text me when you arrive. "

Sehun nods, "I will. Thanks again for the counseling. "

Jongin grins and waves his hand dismissively.

"Whatever, now go get your man" he winks.

Sehun feels his face flush and he flips Jongin off. Exiting the studio, Jongin's laughter follows him into the cold.

 _I can do this,_ sehun thinks determindly.

8 hours later.

 _I can't do this_ , Sehun thinks, panicking a little. Around him is the hustle and bustle of one of China's biggest cities, Beijing. People are speaking fast in a language he really does not understand because he got a B at best in Mandarin in highschool.

He planned to meet lay, they got close through their mutual love of dance, who's going to take him to the fan meet Luhan is holding. The idea was to surprise him there because yixing-

("we are friends. Please call1 me Yixing!") 

-is signing there as well. A shiver of excitement passes through sehun but panic blocks it out quickly because he cant seem to find him. 

A tap to his shoulder has him whirling around in surprise and he's greeted with Yixing's smiling face and dimples.

("Omygod your dimples dude")

They head for Yixing's car and pull out into the traffic. When Sehun's face is not plastered to the window, they manage to go over the plan for this afternoon.

"Before that, do you want to get something to eat or drop your bags off at your hotel?"

"Drop my bags off, I don't think I could eat anything right now I'm so nervous" sehun answered quietly.

Yixing smiled kindly and patted him on the shoulder, "I wouldn't be so worried. Luhan is going to be escastic to see you. "

Sehun looks at him, "really?"

"Yeah, after you didn't respond to him he's been so worried. All he talks about is kai this and kai that " yixing grins mischievously.

"Right, about the kai thing...." Sehun mumbles awkwardly.

"It's fine. He's going to understand" yixing says not taking his eyes off the road. He had been alerted by sehun to the whole "kai" issue.

"I hope so..." Sehun says as he returns to staring at the skyline and sights around him.

After dropping off his stuff in the hotel room and then spending half an hour finding an outfit that he had vehemently denied was to impress luhan,

"Trust me you don't need to impress him. You're in for a surprise" yixing remarks amused.

When sehun pressed him for "what exactly does that mean", Yixing doesn’t respond except to grin mysteriously. Dropping it for now, they headed back to the car and made it to the fan meet. Even though it started in half an hour, already hundreds of fans were milling about. Fear set in and sehun's hands started trembling because _omygod Jongin is not here to calm him down and this was such a bad idea._

"Just breath it'll be okay" Yixing whispers kindly before heading to the table. Following Yixing's suggestion, he looked around. Luhan's fan meet was slightly different from his back in Korea. Instead of a stage where he could perform and seats for the fans, there seemed to be a raised platform of sorts with a table on it and seats. That, he guessed, is where yixing and luhan were going to sit and greet the fans. Other than that it was pretty normal.

Sehun, put on his face mask as well as his hat so to avoid getting recognized, took his place in line. Suddenly, all the girls started screaming. (by all the girls, it was everyone but sehun) and he looked up to see Yixing and Luhan walking up on the platform. They waved at everyone and sehun's breath caught in his throat because

_Omygod he's so tiny. Why did I not realize this._

Luhan's hair was blonde and he was wearing a red snapback to push back his bangs. Either he was wearing makeup or his skin was naturally flawless but either way he glowed under the lights of the square.

_God that sounds romantic._

He was wearing a Jean jacket over a white tanktop and some, what sehun guessed were expensive, black stressed jeans. Subconsciously, sehun thought of his own appearance and he was hoping it was ok. Black jeans that made his thighs and ass look A+ -

(Jongin once said that he would totally bang Sehun if he saw him in a club except he knows him and ew your personality bro. Sehun slapped him for that. )

-and wife-beater under a leather jacket. He supposed he looked ok. Due to his fidgeting, the fan in front of him turns around and smiles good-natured.

"Nervous?"

Sehun responds with a smile he imagines probably looks like a grimace.

"You could say that".

It ends up that this fan meet takes way longer than Sehun thought and because he had strategically placed himself at the very back of the line, he had the entire afternoon to imagine and accept his end. _This is it, I'm going to die ._ He is very glad he wore his facemask when he happens to glance at the fans phone in front of him for the time and saw it was a punk edit of himself in space. He had forgotten his phone in the hotel room in the rush to get to the meet and now there was nothing to occupy his mind. At some point, sehun believes it's hour 4, he has gone to running through his choreo for the collab with Jongin he has to film when he gets back, in his head. Hour 6, sehun has finally admitted that he may have an itsy-bitsy-teensy crush on luhan and now his life is a mess. Why did he click on that video? 

At 7:00pm, sehun realizes he is much closer to the front of the line then when he was an hour ago and that the area has significantly cleared out. Most of the fans have gone home except for the loyal few who are still snapping photos. Up close, luhan looks tired but he takes his time to smile at every fan when they approach him. Yixing shoots him a wink from the table during a pause of the meet and greet. Suddenly, sehun finds himself the next person to go up, and he's never been this nervous, even when he performed with BigBang on their tour. Sehun's legs start to shake and this was a bad idea, he hasn’t thought about what to say _ABORT ABORT ABORT_. But then the security guard is motioning him forward and he finds himself looking at luhan. Luhan smiles.

"Hi what's your name?"

Sehun's tongue is dry and he cant seem to find the words because do the fans know how luhan's eyes sparkle?

_Gross, you're getting romantic again sehun._

Yixing, being a sneaky little asshole, smiles at sehun and says, "hey kai, glad you could make it". _Well fuck,_ Sehun thinks, _there goes everything._

"It's sehun actually. Kai is just a.....nickname. "

Somehow sehun gets that out without his voice shaking and him and yixing drift into light conversation.

A cough interrupts their exchange and yixing and sehun turns to find Luhan choking on his water. The expression on his face after he gets his breath back is priceless.

"What?!"

Luhan's mind is spinning. _What the fuck, you're telling me that the hot YouTuber who dances that  I've been crushing on for a year and a half is the same guy that I've been talking on line with. What did I do in my past life to deserve this._

Luhan is so lost and Yixing is crying himself he's laughing so hard and he pats luhan on the back,

"Holy fuck man you're gay, like legit the gayest thing ive ever seen."

Sehun just looks embarrassed but also amused _because did luhan just choke on water because of him and who says legit in 2016?_ Unfortunately for luhan, sehun is ushered away by the security guard because he is holding up the line for the remaining fans. Sehun smiles before following the guard and luhan loses sight of him soon after as his fans come up and bombard him with questions.

"Do you know him?"

"Is he a friend of yours lulu?"

"Omygosh are you okay?"

Luhan says nothing as he continues to stare off at where sehun disappeared and amusement practically radiates off of Yixing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^_^ Enjoy!


	3. exit stage right pursued by a mob of fans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it gets gay. kinda.

After the fan meet, yixing disappeared before luhan could get his hands on him, leaving him pouting in disappointment. He had a bunch of questions swirling around his head and he needed answers dammit. _Why was kai, sehun? How do yixing and sehun know each other? How come he is here?_ And most importantly, _can they see each other again_ because a minute was just not enough time for luhan to take him in. Frustrated at himself, yixing and by extension, sehun, luhan made his way back to his apartment to write a message thanking all of his followers for showing up.

Meanwhile, Yixing, who had managed to ditch luhan (he was going to get hell for that later), texted sehun to see if they could meet up for dinner.

 **Layxing 8:30pm**  
Yo we should meet up for dinner.

His response came quicker than he imagined and not with the answer he wanted.

 **BubbleButt 8:31pm**  
Can't, im practicing rn.

 **Layxing 8:34pm**  
Where?

 **BubbleButt 8:40**  
Hotel, studio floor G

Yixing arrives at the hotel fifteen minutes later and invites himself into sehun's practice studio. Sehun doesn't seem very surprised and just continues on with the move he was doing before yixing had walked in. Dropping, his stuff in the corner and changing into something more comfortable, yixing joins him and together they start to work through sehun's choreo with shinee. It's slow but it helps sehun figure out the placing and he’s enjoying himself with yixing. Yixing is kind and creative and has amazing stamina and skill and soon the two of them are freestyling to whatever song is playing from sehun's phone. At that moment it was, 'my heart will go on' by Celine Dion.

When yixing looks at sehun strangely, he shrugs.

"What, it's a classic".

Soon, however, yixing collapses against the mirrors.

"I'm gonna have to eat something if we keep dancing like this. You're a machine"

Sehun, his eyes still focused on himself as he runs through the choreo yet again, shrugs.

"I'm young so I got to prove my worth. I put in a resume for SM as a choreographer and now I'm waiting for a reply. If they hire me, I've got to show them why it was good idea."

Yixing smiles and watches sehun run through the set.

"Watch your left foot on the fifth beat. those are wise words, you're impressive oh sehun".

Nodding to Yixing's comment, sehun fixes his step.

"Thanks".

As yixing is drinking his second water bottle. His stomach growls and he sighs.

"I'm going to order take out, is that ok? And do you want anything?"

"Fine by me. I'm ok thanks. I'm not really hungry"

In truth, sehun was starved but he didn't want to eat anything because his stomach was still churning from his meeting earlier. And if he stopped dancing everything (including the panic) would come rushing back.

_The look on his face. Was it a good thing? Does he hate me now? Why'd I smile at him like that. God that was fucking cocky....I would hate someone who smiled at me like that.._

Yixing raises an eyebrow but wisely doesn't comment on anything. He picks up his phone and quickly orders something in Chinese so fast that Sehun didn't quite catch what he said.

"I'm having them deliver it here.."

Nodding, sehun goes to his phone and starts clicking around for a song.

"So I'm planning on doing a tour with a set of other choreographers, mind looking at my solo?"

"No problem. Go for it." Yixing says easily.

A strong beat fills the studio and sehun's entire energy changes. Before he was just goofing off or tired from repetitively doing the same set but now it was different. Yixing's eyes widened. He got why this guy was famous at this young age. His body moved in ways that yixing could hardly imagine doing and it all seemed effortless. At the end of the solo, yixing applauded, impressed.

"That was amazing! All I've got to say is keep doing it with maybe more attitude"

"Thanks..." Sehun replied a bit shyly.

As he launched into the solo again, absorbed in the beats and the movement of his body, the door to the studio opened. It was luhan, he was carrying a box of noodles in one hand and a coke in the other.

"Xing, what are you at a danc-"

Luhan's eyes widened as he took in the sehun's dancing and he feels his face flush when he meets sehun's piercing gaze in the mirror as he snapped his hips to the beat.

_Fuck......that was really hot._

Staring, luhan doesn't realize when yixing walks up to him.

"Hunnie, you're drooling"

Snapping out of it quickly, luhan hands him his noodles and backs out slowly.

"Here are your noodles. It was 3.50 you owe me ok I'm just gonna lea-"

He squacked when yixing grabs his arm and pulls him back into the studio.

"Nu uh. You have to talk to him because I can't stand any more of you whining about him."

He raises his voice so that sehun can hear, (not that he was listening since he is so absorbed in the song),

"Is it hot in here? Man I'm sweating. I'm going to go eat these out on the roof. Look at the view. Bye~"

And with that he leaves the studio, leaving a very conflicted luhan _(I want to leave but please can I stay)_ standing there gaping at a body rolling sehun.

 _Fuck my life_ , luhan thinks faintly.

Eventually, sehun collapses, exhausted, on the floor of the studio and decides that _yknow what fuck it, he's to tired hes gonna sleep here_. He has almost dozed off when footsteps approach him and a hand gently pushes at his shoulder. Without opening his eyes, sehun rolls over onto his side.

"No, leave me here to die..."

Luhan, amused at sehun's dramatic announcement, gently shoves at sehun again.

"Come on, you'll hurt your back like that.."

Sehun stiffens from where he's lying on the floor and he slowly sits up with his eyes open. That is not Yixing's voice.

 _What. The. Fuck_.

Luhan is looking at him with wide eyes and a timid smile and _oh shit he's really pretty yknow this close up._ Luhan holds out his hand and sehun stares at it.

_What._

"My first impression wasn't very good. My name's luhan, I'm a big fan. "

_What?!_

And he's smiling but sehun can see the nervousness in his eyes and it calms him down a little because he’s not the only one a little bit scared. He reaches out his own hand to shake luhan's.

"Sehun."

Pulling sehun up so that he’s standing, luhan doesn't let go of his hand.

"Well sehun, I'd like to get to know you a bit!"

And the ending sounds a bit weird because luhan is feeling a new level of nervousness and _damn this boy's bitch face is strong but really handsome._

But then something softens on sehun's face and he smiles the prettiest eyesmile luhan has ever seen. And he can almost here the birds chirping and wow this boy is so pretty can I keep him. A little bit of luhan melts.

"Id like that."

Later they will tell each other that on the inside both of them were freaking out but at this moment they are just staring at each other, trying to take the other in. Luhan had to ruin it.

"You stink tho."

Moment ruined and sehun's face starts to close and he’s starting to pull away but luhan doesn't want to let go just yet so he adds quickly,

"So you get cleaned up and how about I take you out?"

This stops sehun up short and his eyes widen at the implication. Luhan is quick to notice.

"As friends!"

Still, sehun's pale face is tinged with pink, something that luhan is a tiny bit proud of because he did that and he nods. Heading to his stuff in the corner, sehun pulls out a towel and a change of clothes before going to the shower. Ten minutes later, sehun comes out refreshed and smelling slightly of lemons. (A scent that luhan secretly adores on him. In fact, lemons could be his favourite fruit now _....woah there lu, you're getting a little ahead of yourself. )_

Sehun hears talking when he re enters the studio, and he thinks that yixing had returned but the conversation sounds suspiciously onesided. As he walks out, sehun sees luhan gesturing and talking excitedly to the camera.

_Wow wow wow he's really cute when he's excited._

"-so I'm at the studio of my.....friend-"

Sehun notices the hesitation on the word ‘friend’ and it leaves a warm feeling in his stomach.

"-and I'm not sure if he wants to be on camera cause he's pretty shy so do forgive me if you don't see him" a quick smile and then he continues,

"I think we are heading to dinner! My friend is new to Beijing so I'm going to show them my favourite place!"

Sehun is so thankful because even though he does post videos, they don't require him talking or making things up on the spot. It makes him uncomfortable to be put on the spot.

Luhan stops vlogging and smiles at sehun.

"Ready to go?"

Sehun just nods. On the way out of the hotel, luhan remembers how he paused before he word 'friend' and blushes at the thought of what he was actually going to say. He does know, however, that his fans are going to catch that when he posts the vlog tonight and as thankful as he is for loyal fans, some of them are a bit....intense. Luhan is pretty open about his sexuality with his subscribers, not that he ever explicitly said it out loud, he just thinks that everyone knows. Because come on, how many straight guys review red carpet fashion and declare at every man in a suit that he wants to "marry him". And luhan is comfortable with the fact that he's very gay but he can already see the comment section…

**Omygosh who is that lucky guy!?!?;**

**Is it a guy?!???!!!**

**I SHIP IT!!!!!**

He groans silently at the thought. The walk to the restaurant is pleasant. Luhan fills it with mindless chatter and sehun pops in occasionally with something he wants to say and when it gets quiet, luhan films those aesthetic filler shots he’s so famous for in his videos. He somehow manages to keep sehun's face out of the frame and the night goes smoothly. After dinner, sehun is practically asleep in the seat across from him at the table, luhan makes sehun promise to call or text him.

"Promise me sehunnie"

Sehun pinks a bit at the nickname but doesn't respond cause he’s so tired and this restaurant is dim and warm.

"Sehun." Luhan warns and tries to look threatening except he's as threatening as a bunny.

 _Or a deer,_ sehun's mind helpfully supplies. 

Luhan gets increasingly exasperated and finally sehun pities him.

"Sehunnnnnnnn"

"Yes ok hyung, but I'm really tired let's call it a night ok?"

Something curls in luhan's chest at the use of an honorific.

"Ok sehun, let's get you back to your hotel room. "

Later, when sehun is in bed and ready to sleep, he watches the vlog luhan had posted. Like he'd promised, sehun's face didn't appear in any of the shots. In fact if sehun wasn't there, he wouldn't have been able to guess who it was. And he's drifting off to sleep with the calm music luhan had added but hes jolted awake by what luhan had said at the end.

_LUHAN SAID WHAT NOW!?!?_

He replays the end of the video and watches where video luhan says,

"So the person in this vlog is someone really special to me so if you see him, please treat him well and to that person, I hope you’re watching this, I hope I can be special to you!! Goodnight lovely viewers! Sweet dreams!" The screen goes dark.

(Sehun is no professional gymnast but what he just did was definitely categorized under backflip.)

Due to the fact that he's so in touch with his feelings (not) and always knows what to do (hardly) he freaks out, so he calls the one person he can think of.

………

"Sehun. It's three in the fucking morning. Why are you calling me?"

_Oh. Shit. He didn't look at the time._

"I think luhan is flirting with me...?"

Jongin sounds tired and exasperated on the other side of the call.

"And you're calling me because.....?"

"I don't know what to do."

Sehun can practically see the facepalm Jongin does.

"You're kidding me..."

"...no?"

The 'no' came out a lot squeakier than he and hoped and Jongin sighs.

"Alright...it's going to be ok....."

Five minutes of sehun going "uhuh, yeah, yep, but-", Jongin has managed to convince sehun to text luhan about it.

"Now I'm going back to sleep. God I should charge you for this. "

Sehun sticks his tongue out.

"Shut up"

Jongin laughs, glad to see sehun back to his normal self.

"Bye" and he hangs up.

 **BubbleButt 3:22am  
** :)

The buzz of a text message alerts luhan from where he is typing away at his computer and he feels himself flush after reading it.

_God dammit sehun watched the video. Ok goodbye. This is the end. I'm done. Nopeeeeeeeee_

**Luhan^-^ 3:25am**  
Shut it.

 **BubbleButt 3:26am**  
Hyung you are special.

 **BubbleButt 3:26am**  
To me...

And the world applauded sehun. Bravo. He talked about his feelings.

(“I pray to god and everything holy that you aren’t sexting sehun right now lulu” Yixing says, horrified at his roomate’s blushing cheeks, “Save it for when I’m not home…”

Luhan let out the most unmanly shriek and looked up horrified from his phone, “Yixing!?!?”

Yixing smirks and leaves his blushing roommate in favour for some icetea in the fridge.

“Just saying, you do you man, but have the decency to do it when im not around” He called over his shoulder.)

 

The next day greets sehun bright and early, well actually it's 11:00am by the time he drags his ass out of the bed and down to the lobby for breakfast. Except the hotel only offered breakfast until nine. Despondently, sehun rode the elevator back up to his room and changed to find some food outside.

_What hotel doesnt serve 24h breakfast???_

Minutes later, he finds himself outside in the bustling crowds of Beijing. Foreigners and locals alike flock to the food stands and shops that line the street. Right at that moment, sehun's hotel bed has never been so appealing. But he shoulders his backpack resolutely-

_Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Positive attitude? Missing._

-and starts his quest for anything edible.

_The brave knight understands that this quest could take many years but he is a determined man and sets out to rescue his princess and receive his award. A foe approaches and the knight grabs his sword, swinging it in an arc at the enemy-_

"Sir? Are you ok?"

Sehun startles and sees the valet boy for his hotel looking at him strangely. He realizes, much to his embarrassment, that he was standing in the doorway blanking out. A couple looks at him confusedly as they pass.

"Uh....yes. I'm fine " says sehun and he dashes off into the mobs of people on the street, leaving the valet boy standing there bewildered.

 _Man sehun, you've watched the princess Bride one to many times....._ He tells himself as he pushes past people. It's hopeless though, sehun can't read any of the signs and every time he asks someone for help they ignore him.

"I just want some food" sehun murmurs pitifully to himself.

An idea strikes him and he pulls out his phone,

 **BubbleButt 11:47am**  
Hyung I need help.....

No response, so sehun heads into the nearest cafe to get a drink. He orders a green tea shake from the super nice barista (who it turns out, is one of his fans). He chats with her for a bit before another customer behind him coughs and he’s forced to find a table. (He got his drink for free, what with the exchange of an autograph.)

 _Being popular has its perks_ , sehun thinks contentedly, as he waits for his name to be called for his drink. A buzz in his pocket distracts him from his musing.

 **Luhan^-^ 11:55am**  
Are you ok?

 **BubbleButt 11:56am**  
Hyung!!!! Ur my saviour.

 **Luhan^-^ 11:58am**  
What's up hunnie? Are you hurt?

 **BubbleButt 12:00pm**   
What's a good breakfast place to go to?

 **Luhan^-^ 12:01pm**  
Ur kidding me....

 **BubbleButt 12:02pm**  
I'm dead serious hyung...I got lost just finding the lobby in my hotel, u expect me to find breakfast in an unknown city?

He can practically feel luhan sigh when the text is read and sehun grins to himself.

 **Luhan^-^ 12:05pm**  
Where r u rn?

 **BubbleButt 12:06pm**  
Some cafe it's got a green sign and has yellow umbrellas outside.

 **Luhan^-^ 12:07pm**  
Near your hotel?

 **BubbleButt 12:08pm**   
Yeah.

"Green tea shake for sehun?" Sehun glances up at the call of his name and goes to pick up his drink. He takes a sip and it's refreshing. Sehun winks at the barista just to see her blush before heading back to his table.

 **Luhan^-^ 12:12pm**  
I'll be there in 5.

Sehun sends back a quick 'ok' and then settles down to wait. After a few minutes of staring blankly out of the window (and managing to make awkward eye contact with ever person who passes by) he starts to take some selfies to upload when he gets back to korea. He sees luhan walk into the shop and scan the customers for him before breaking into a bright smile as his eyes alight on sehun.

Sehun can't see to take his eyes off of him because man, why isn't he a full-time model? Luhan was wearing a grey sweater that isnt to big but still looks baggy, dark jeans, a plaid shirt around his waist and a flatcap that says 'pay me' on it. Sehun on the other hand looks like a walking disaster, what with his messy hair, plain tshirt and dark jeans that are dirty but you can't tell. However, luhan doesn't seem to mind, if the smile on his face is anything to go by when he finds sehun.

Sehun hears a little gasp and he turns to see the barista practically oggling luhan as he walks over.

 _I get what you're feeling_ , sehun thinks amused as luhan slides into the seat across from sehun.

"Good morning sunshine" he greets sehun in hopes to put some emotion on sehun's blank face. It works, as sehun's eyes widen a tiny bit and the corners of his lips tilt up.

_Speaking of his lips........., Don't you go there luhan. That is dark territory. Nuhuh._

Listening to sehun rant about getting lost, and why aren't there signs in oh I don't know Korean or even English would be better! Luhan smiled at his hand gestures and antics and after letting him rant a little bit longer, interrupted him by stilling his gesturing hands.

"Look, I know a really good dimsum place nearby and we can pick up some bubble tea while we're at it"

Sehun blinked, "oh" he said, "ok".

_Goddamit. You're too cute for your own good._

The dimsum place turned out to be a great idea as luhan watched sehun devour a portion for 4.

 

_How does he do that? Hes literally as skinny as a pole but he just put away a meal for ten!_

 

After he’s done, luhan suggests that they go window-shopping or just walk around the district because it is such a nice day and he really doesn’t want to leave Sehun just yet. He says all this with such a straight face that Sehun’s cheeks pink as he looks down at his bubble tea. Luhan watches secretly delighted to elicit such a reaction.

 

As they browse the many storefronts, Luhan wishes that sehun’s stay would never end. It was great to hang out with the other boy. As if sensing his thoughts, Sehun turns to him and does that smile that makes luhan’s heart jump into a pit of sharks-

 

_Okay that’s a weird analogy, you ok there luhan?_

“I have to leave tomorrow”

 

_Oh._

 

“Ah”

 

The silence is awkward.

 

“Yeah”

 

Neither knows what to say and a weighted silence follows them as they continue to meander around the district looking for shops. Both boys are in their respective thoughts. Sehun thinking about the trip back and how glad he is that Jongin convinced him to come. Luhan, a bit upset about the thought of Sehun’s abrupt departure and how they won’t be able to do all the stuff he had thought about. The two find a bench to rest at, still consumed in their thoughts, and when a ringtone starts blaring, Luhan jumps.

 

_“-Is it to late now to say soryyyyyyyy”_

 

Sehun fumbles with his phone, embarassed at being caught with Justin Bieber as his ringtone (Its his jam).

 

“Hello?”

 

Luhan amused at Sehun’s ringtone, can’t quite make out the voice on the other end, but he can tell the tone is excited.

 

“Wait wait slow down! What happened?” Sehun says, the excitement visible in his face.

 

“Im saying that you made it man! You’re SM’s new choreographer!” Jongin babbles excitedly on the other side.

 

“Holy shit…..you’re kidding” Sehun responds, disbelief coloring his words.

 

Jongin scoffs, “You think I would joke about this? Im so proud of you!”

 

Wrapped up in his excitement and happiness at getting the job and hearing his best friend’s voice, Sehun continues to talk with Jongin, completely ignoring Luhan who is sitting beside him with a slight smile. Although he couldn’t really understand most of the conversation, Luhan was happy his sehun (*sehun) was so joyful. It warmed his heart and the awkward moment was forgotten as both boys were swept away in the excitement.

 

After Sehun had hung up, Luhan suggest that they go get ice cream to celebrate. His suggestion is met with a quick and bright smile of agreement and the two head out.

 

“Welcome to Green Ice! What can I get you two today?”

 

Luhan turns to Sehun to ask for his order but stops when he sees the childish delight on his face at all the different flavors. Luhan decides at that moment that he is now going to get Sehun as much as ice cream as he liked in the future. The server coughs and Luhan blinks, snapping out of his daze.

 

“Sehun?”

 

The boy in question looks up and says he’d like the green tea flavor.

 

“On a waffle cone” he adds after a moment.

 

“And I’ll have the….” Luhan contemplates the flavors and settles for cherry rose. “Cherry rose on a sugar cone please!” He hands the server the cash.

 

The server scoops them their ice cream and hands them back their change.

 

“Thank you!” Luhan calls over his shoulder as he and sehun find a booth to sit at.

 

They sit, chatting comfortably about youtube and collabs. Laughing over the Luhan’s Q&A collab he did with Yixing, sehun’s phone goes off.

 

**Kim Kim 4:17pm**

Sooooooooooo hows you n lover boy?

 

Sehun flushes reading it and looks up at Luhan’s teasing smiling. He doesn’t bother to respond to jongin because luhan asks if he’d like to take some selfies and pictures together.

 

“For myself and my instagram”

 

Sehun agrees and watches Luhan fiddle with his phone before he pats the seat beside him, inviting Sehun to slide in. He does, and when Luhan chirps, “smile!”, Sehun makes sure to keep his face completely blank.

 

“Sehhhhhhuuuunnnnnnnnn” luhan whines, pouting.  


Sehun smirks and grabs luhan’s camera and he snaps a few with his arm around luhan. In the last photo, luhan’s eyes are so wide that sehun can’t help but burst out laughing at the sight and luhan grabs his chance and snaps a picture of sehun mid laugh, before falling into a fit of giggles with sehun. They stay there like that, leaning against one and other, laughing at things on luhan’s phone and taking terrible pictures of each other, until it was dusk.

 

On the way back to Sehun’s hotel, luhan trails behind him, caught up in how the light washes out the urban harshness of the street. He looks up and sees sehun framed against the street by the setting sun. It was so striking, that without realizing, Luhan snaps a quick picture, unable to let go of the image.

 

 

 

 

Later that night, back in his apartment, Luhan can’t help but post the picture of sehun. It was well shot and you couldn’t really tell it was sehun in it unless you were there. The offhand way luhan had taken the shot created this image of coziness and quietness and luhan thought his followers on instagram would like it.

 

Sehuns phone lit up with a notification from where it was lying beside his laptop. Sehun had been busy reviewing footage from his last tour (to send to SM per request) for hours, so when his phone offered a distraction he took it gladly.

 

**@real_LUHAN posted a photo 3s**

 

He checked out the photo and something warm settled in his stomach at the sight of himself captured so easily by luhan’s phone. The caption was simple,

 

 **real_LUHAN** fun day^^

 

Already the comment section was blowing up with people wondering the identity of the person in the photo.

 

**Bunny_Hun 4s**

Obvs thts not ge

 

**Sarahhh_ 2s**

**@Bunny_Hun** then who is it????

 

**AjxxT 1s**

AHHHHHHH is it just me who ships this???

(Both boys notice that comment and are in complete denial over how it makes something tingle in their chest.)

 

(Here’s a secret: Luhan encourages all the shipping. )

 

(Here’s another secret: Sehun does to)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is done! Expect a post in the next week or so!


	4. intermission : interprative courtship dances observed by zhang yixing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> interlude: summer

Sehun’s flight leaves early the next day and he finds himself surprised by how sad he feels boarding because he had thought this weekend was going to be so bad but it turned out to be pretty okay. Luhan doesn’t see him off, instead he says his goodbyes the night before due to his early morning classes the next day and the two parted with a lingering hug.  

 

 

“Bye bye sehunnie, you promise to text me right?” Luhan said ruffling Sehun’s hair even though he was shorter.

 

“I will hyung…” Sehun promised smiling a little.

 

Luhan threw his arms around sehun and sehun hugged him back. Enjoying the way Luhan’s body fit against his in the embrace, he was reluctant to let go of him.

 

“Ahem” The same valet boy was back and was looking at them disapprovingly, “You’re blocking the entrance”

 

_Prick_

 

Sehun scowled at the boy as he pulled away from Luhan. “That guys is so rude” he muttered.

 

Luhan giggled at the expression on Sehun’s face and sehun’s bad mood disappeared.

 

“Well it is getting late, I should go! I’ll miss you hyung.” Sehun said quietly, avoiding luhan’s eyes.

 

Luhan’s smile softened and he grabbed sehun’s hand and squeezed it. “Ill miss you too but I’m only a call away! You have fun at your new job!”

 

“Sure thing hyung. Thank you!”

The two parted and Sehun rode the elevator to his hotel room and went to pack, sad and tiny bit lonely without Luhan’s bubbly presence. What he didn’t know was that the moment Sehun had stepped into the elevator and the doors shut, Luhan’s heart crumpled and he made his way back to his apartment, despondent.

 

Interlude : Luhan : April

 

April 20th dawns bright and early at the wonderful hour of 6:30am. Much to the annoyance of Yixing who is sleeping in the room beside Luhan, said owner of room fails to wake up and turn off his alarm. He stumbles out of his room groggily, slams his toe on the door ( _“Fuuuuuccckkkk”)_ before barging into Luhan’s pitch black room and tumbling down on his roommate.

 

“Wake Upppppp” He mumbles groggily, hoping the combined weight of him and the force of his fall will wake up his sleeping beauty of a best friend.

 

Luhan mumbles something incoherent and pulls his duvet cover up higher. A little more awake, Yixing manages to slam the alarm clock and turns the wailing alarm off.

 

“Luhan, get your ass out of bed” He breathes into Luhan’s ear.

 

Nothing. Hard times call for drastic measures, at least that’s how yixing thinks that saying goes, but he could be wrong, it is 6:30am.

 

He pulls himself off the bed and stands there at the end looking at Luhan’s sleeping figure. Gently, he grabs the end of Luhan’s duvet and yanks it with all his strength while yelling (he is so sure they are going to get a noise complaint)-

 

“APINK IS A TERRIBLE GIRL GROUP!”

 

Luhan sits up so fast, Yixing almost feels guilty cause he might have given his roommate whiplash, and glares daggers at the other boy.

 

“EXCUSE YOU! Apink is a-”

 

“Glad you’re awake princess” Yixing says smiling sweetly, completely unperturbed at Luhan’s wrath, “Its 6:45, you have classes at 7:15”

 

“Fuck” Luhan groans, the fight leaving his body as he falls back into his bed, “Im so tired”.

 

Yixing smirks, “Stayed up a bit to late talking with your boyfriend?”

 

Luhan’s face, if possible, sinks further into his pillow, “He is not my boyfriend”.

 

“But you wish he was~”

 

“Shut it Yixing, anyways thanks for waking me up. I’ll get ready”

 

Yixing smile melts off his face and he walks to Luhan’s door, “Yeah next time wake up yourself, I’m going to sleep cause unlike some insane people I know, I only have class at 10:00am”.

 

“I love you~” Luhan calls after Yixing.

 

“Whatever.”

 

Luhan smiles as he halls himself up to get ready for the day, not at all bothered by his roommate’s attitude. Once freshened and wearing something decent, he hurries to the kitchen to grab some coffee because the only way he can survive these early morning classes was with an unhealthy amount of caffeine. He smiles to himself when he sees the coffee already brewed, touched by his roommates act of kindness. As he pours himself a cup, he notices a sticky note taped to the clock of their microwave.

 

**Happy Birthday~**

**Drinks are on me tonight.**

**XingXing**

 

And what seemed to be a terrible stick figure drawing of the two of them. That or it was a kangaroo playing softball with an ostrich. There was a reason why Yixing was a music major and not visual arts and it was staring Luhan straight in the face at 7:05am.

 

_7:05?!….shit_

 

Luhan all but raced out of his apartment, which thankfully was close to the university, and sprinted full out to his lecture hall. (He was glad his last roommate, Minseok a Korean exchange student, had convinced him to play soccer every weekend otherwise this sprint would have killed him). He made it just in time, Luhan dropping into his seat a minute before his prof walks in. The guy, who sits beside him, gives him an amused smile at his disheveled appearance. Luhan gives him the stink eye.

 

_I fucking hate morning people._

 

Thirty minutes into the two-hour long lecture, Luhan feels his eye’s start to droop in exhaustion and its obvious the caffeine was not enough. He berates himself for staying up so late last night talking with Sehun, but ever since said boy had left, he had been super busy working as the lead choreographer and the only time Luhan and him could chat was late at night after he had gotten home. Once Sehun had asked him if _“Hyung isn’t it late? I can just text you!”_ after Luhan’s fifth attempt at stifling his yawns. Luhan’s heart had melted a little a how worried Sehun seemed at keeping Luhan up but he had denied it. _“No no Sehun I’m fine! Besides I don’t have early classes.”_ Selfish and an obvious lie, he knows, but he likes to listen to Sehun ramble about his day, it makes the distance between the two of them less noticeable.

 

Just the other night, Sehun had called Luhan in a fit of excitement, babbling on about his newest collab he did with Yixing.

 

“Hyung did you see? ‘Xing-hyung produced the song and I did the choreo!”

 

Luhan had responded in kind, saying he had seen it and he thought it was really good. It was the truth, the song that Yixing had made was amazing and with Sehun’s strong moves, the video ended up being fantastic. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a spike of jealousy as he read the comments later that night.

 

**567_happyhappy**

Ommo! The song and the dance. My heart I cant!!!~

**FransKiri7**

Awww this is so cutteeeeeeeee I ship it!!!!

 

**Layla112**

**+FransKiri7** me tooooooo!!!! They are totally dating!!!!

 

-and 400 other comments with similar opinions. He totally didn’t sulked about it (he did) for a while and after Yixing had rubbed it in his face all smug.

 

“Look how cute me and my _boyfriend_ are lulu~ OW”

 

“You deserved that punch. And isn’t this cheating? You already have a boyfriend”

 

Yixing shrugged, “And? It’s fun to see you get all jealous over your ‘friend’……OW! Stop punching me asshole.”

 

Luhan huffed and sat down on Yixing’s bed frowning. His pathetic excuse of a best friend sat down beside him and managed to console the other before turning on the anime they had been watching.

 

“It’s not true is it?” Luhan had mumbled after the main anime protagonist had gotten the girl of his dreams by defeating the evil witch using his powers. Confused, Yixing thought before answering.

 

“Wha- oh no. NO. Sehun is just like a litte brother lu. Don’t worry~ I won’t steal your man~”

 

“He’s not my man” Luhan had responded as he attempted to frown but when Yixing glanced at him a minute later, there was a tiny smile curling at his lips.

 

That whole fiasco was still going on, but Sehun hadn’t said anything about it publicly (Luhan did overhear him call Yixing and had to listen to their raucous laughter over the issue before storming in and asking if they could be any louder? Yixing had just grinned and the laughter was evident in Sehun’s apology) and other than Yixing occasionally bringing it up, life had gone somewhat back to normal.

 

Now, as his eyes threaten to close, he groans to himself. _Maybe next time he should just tell Sehun that he can text him. At least then he could get a full night’s rest._ When his forehead made contact with the table in front of him, he yelped and sat up. His seatmate who still seemed to be wearing that same amused smile, _does his face ever change_ , Luhan wondered, slipped him a piece of paper. Luhan looked at him confusedly and the other boy rolled his eyes and gestured to the piece of paper.

 

**You look tired. I’ll take your notes.**

 

Luhan looked up at the other boy, a bit surprised that this stranger was being so kind but didn’t think to much about it as he mouthed a quick thank you before crossing his arms in front of him. He then preceded to bury his face in them and let his professor’s unfortunate monotone voice that was droning about the ‘human rights laws of western Canada’ lull him to sleep.

 

 _This is an okay birthday,_ he thought drowsily.

 

Interlude : Luhan : June

 

June is many things for students who are in an academic program of any sorts. It is Finals, which is a word that comes with crying, to much caffeine, overworked students and sleepless nights. It is heat that attacks poor college kids with no money for air-conditioning (one can find Luhan and Yixing laying on the floor of their apartment as their sweat makes a puddle around them) and it is freedom (but not really), because the moment Luhan steps foot out of his final exam, feeling like he can fly because no school for the entire summer(!!!!!), reality gives him a slap and now he’s off calling his agent to try and wrangle a job for this poor part time model college kid who really needs money for animal crackers.

 

He does get a job, one that makes him busier than he would like but it gives him good pay and the studios are air conditioned. With that extra work, he also does his YouTube channel, which had reached an exciting number of 10M subscribers, making Luhan very proud. This meant, however, his videos needed to always be good content for his viewers and so he spent longer researching products for his reviews while still keeping the funniness. But Luhan liked to be busy, it made his life enjoyable and each day was fun and packed with different events. The only downside was he rarely got to see and talk to Sehun and this fact saddened him slightly.

 

_Nothing can ever be perfect…_

 

Interlude: Sehun: June

 

The other youtuber’s life had gotten much busier as well. In fact, if Sehun had more friends than just Yixing, Jongin and Luhan, he would have lost all of them due to his lack of contact with any of them. Each day, he woke up early, made his way to work, judged and taught the trainees in the morning, worked with groups until 10 or 11 at night and then depending on the day, had to film and edit a video for his channel. This left him with about 5 hours before he had to be back at work again and the lack of sleep was definitely showing. He had dark bags under his eyes that he tried to conceal with makeup, but didn’t really work and his ever-famous bitch face, if possible, got bitchier. Jongin, who was Sehun’s self-appointed manager (“and shrink” “That was one time!”) and co-teacher somehow managed to get the company to give time for Sehun to rest on the weekends. This led to Sehun using his free time to work on his collab routines until the boy would stumble out of exhaustian and Jongin would lead him home to bed.

 

“Im not tired” Sehun whined as Jongin dragged him into the elevator.

 

“And Im not attractive-”

 

“You’re no- OW” Sehun winced as Jongin slapped his arm.

 

His best friend had a determined expression on his face as he wrangled Sehun out of the elevator and into his flat.

 

“Please just sleep, you have a big performance with Taemin soon and you need to rest for it.” Jongin said pulling off his best friend’s shoes and pushing him into bed.

 

“Exactly, so I should be practicing! I can’t screw up!” Sehun shot back but stopped moving when Jongin glared at him.

 

“Im just trying to look out for you. If you wont sleep, just rest in bed but I dont want to see you out until 4:00pm” Jongin stood at then end of his bed, hands on his hips before closing Sehun’s door behind him. Sehun reached for his phone, bored.

 

**BubbleButt 1:23pm**

Hyung~~~ Want to talk?

 

No response, half an hour later and still no response. Sehun sighed and flopped back down into his pillows staring dejectedly up at the ceiling. If no one wanted to talk to him then he might as well try to sleep. Closing his eyes, thinking he will rest for an hour, sehun drifted off. (He slept for 8 hours).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the angst will begin soon. on the other hand, i was totally going to make luhan's seatmate kris cause yknow but then i realised the guy in the fic smiled to much. sorry kris.


	5. Act 2 : Faceplanting downhill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ouch.

Interlude: sometime in august

 

Summer was ending. The dread of school and classes, work, social events, sleepless nights and busy days loomed before Lu Han along the horizon like a dark storm cloud. The clouds hung heavy and ominous, quietly waiting to attack him unsuspectingly. Maybe he was being a bit dramatic, and sure Luhan was totally ok with school, he was good at his major (humanities) and was definitely a people’s person, but that didn’t make him not want to go there any less. He would rather spend his days hanging around his apartment, talking with his friends and making videos on youtube but alas, his parents wanted a son with a degree and so here he was, waking up at the crack of dawn to listen to his professors preach about human rights in foreign countries.

 

_Like Alaska…except Alaska isn’t a country…..wait…is it?_

 

His last day of summer began with him waking up and feeling like he was giving birth to Athena through his forehead. Wonderful. He shouldn’t read that many ancient history facts on his phone and he really shouldn’t have gone out drinking with Yixing the night before. Groaning, Luhan turns around in bed to get comfortable, and proceeds to fall off.

 

“Oh shit, fuck, dammit….” He screeched, curled up in a fetal position on his floor.

 

A thump from the other room that sounds suspiciously like a book being thrown at the wall, and then Yixing is yelling, “Shut Up! Some of us are hungover”.

 

“Fuck you man” Luhan screeches back. (About that noise complaint…)

 

 

Once caffeinated and feeling like Athena has calmed her raging dance party inside his head, he takes two Advils and sits himself down on the couch, mindlessly scrolling through his twitter feed. A bunch of his followers are trying to get him to watch some video and he ignores them in favor of laughing over a gif of a cat spooking itself in the mirror. Just then, an idea strikes him.

 

_I really want a cat….lets get a cat._

 

Whatever video can wait as Luhan jumps up from the couch and immediately doubles over in pain.

 

_Okay no jumping, that hurt way too much_

 

Gingerly, he makes his way into Yixing’s room, armed with a cup of coffee and Advil, to wake up his sleeping roommate.

 

“Xing~ time to wake up” he says sweetly. Yixing cracks an eye open and closes it quickly at the bright glare of his room.

 

“What.” His roommate’s voice is rough with sleep.

 

Luhan mentally victory dances because he wasn’t immediately shoved out of the room. Yixing can be a bit tetchy when he’s hungover. He sets the coffee on the bedside table and hands his roommate the Advil. After Yixing had drunk a good portion of his coffee and was sitting up, Luhan gently sits down on the bed beside him. Yixing looks at him strangely.

 

“Why are you being so nice?” he asks suspiciously.

 

“No reason” Luhan replies with a smile and its obvious that there is a reason.

 

“Uh huh” Yixing looks unconvinced. They sit there quietly for a minute.

 

“Actually” Luhan begins and Yixing snaps his head towards him grinning.

 

“Knew it. Spill, what is it?”

 

“Canwegetacatfortheapartment?” Luhan says in one breath, hopeful.

 

Yixing stares at him for a moment before turning back to his coffee.

 

“Sure” he says shrugging, “but you have to do the litterbox”.

 

Happiness dawns on Luhan’s face and he lunges at yixing, pulling him into a hug that resembles a headlock.

 

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou-”

 

“Can’t breathe” Yixing wheezes out and Luhan lets go, still thanking him.

 

“I could marry you!” Luhan says grinning.

 

“Ew, no thanks that’s like marrying my brother.” Yixing responds disgusted as he sips his coffee, trying (and failing) to ignore his bouncing roommate beside him.

 

Yixing shoos him out of the room with the excuse that he needs to change but really its that its way to early and luhan is way to fucking loud.

 

Thus was the start of the existence of Charles, their cat.

 

(“You named the fucking cat…. _Charles?”_

 

“Yeah? Is that weird?”

 

“…”)

 

ACT 2

 

 

The glow of red from the clock lit up the otherwise dark room.

 

2:57am, it blinks teasingly at the room.

 

Luhan is a dark lump on the bed, fast asleep. Beijing awakes around him.

 

A minute passes, the red glow stays, luhan is still asleep, and the metropolis hums with life.

 

2:59am.

 

A phone rings out and luhan stirs in the bed. Thinking its just another computer asking him to be a ‘secret shopper’ so he ignores the call in favor of his warm bed. He fumbles with it, silencing it.

 

3:01am.

 

The phone rings again as Luhan drifts off. (Beijing breathes around him, awake). More annoyed at the sound disturbing his sleep, he answers, ready to give whoever on the other line a talk about not interrupting someone’s sleep.

 

“Do you know how rude it is to wake someone up by calling them” He answers icily.

 

A smooth voice on the other line answers. By their accent, its obvious that they are not a native Chinese speaker and this just makes Luhan even more annoyed.

 

“Hello, this is Jongin.”

 

“Look, I don’t know any Jongins and it is three in the fucking morning so goodnight.” He makes to hang up, irritated, when the voice on the other line stops him.

 

“Wait! Its Sehun’s Jongin”

 

Oh. Luhan feels a flash of panic because why would he be calling about Sehun in the middle of the night? But he forces himself to be calm and when he answers, his voice does not waver.

 

“I see.”

 

Its silent on both ends of the phone as both men take a moment to listen to the sounds of two distant cities around them. A man, obviously drunk, shouts something from the street below Luhan’s window and he subconciously pulls his blanket tighter around himself. He’s lost in his thoughts of how small he is in the large metropolis around him and how easy it would be to disappear. No one would know. (Beijing hums as if sensing his thoughts). Jongin’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

 

“Have you seen the video?”

 

Luhan pauses, confused. “What video?”

 

“Y’know the one that went viral….the one about Sehun…..”

 

_Oh fuck. The video from his fans._

Jongin takes his silence as a yes. “I’d suggest you watch it.”

 

Luhan’s hands shake as he types in Sehun’s youtube. The most recent video, with more that 20M views, was posted 2 weeks ago. He clicks on it. The video starts normally enough; his intro doesn’t play, showing it is raw uncut footage. The quality is slightly grainy and it turns out it is part of a live stream that was re posted to this account. There are two dancers; center stage and they start off. Luhan can tell one of them is Sehun by how he moves and the other, he guesses, is an idol.

 

_Taemin? Sehun mentioned him._

Even someone like himself who is not a dancer, its obvious to him that the moves are very complicated. His breath catches in awe because Sehun seems to soar across the stage with a grace and ease that always manges to blow Luhan away. Right in the middle of the second chorus, Sehun does a jump before a series of difficult footworks. He lands wrong and Luhan’s breath catches in his throat as he watches Sehun collapse to the floor. From the angle of the camera, its obvious to anyone that his hip is definitely not where it should be. It’s twisted in a rough manner and Sehun lets out the most shattering cry of pain. His view is momentarily blocked as a bunch of people rush on to where he is, the other dancer already kneeling beside him. He suspects the young man that gets there the quickest is Jongin and as he tries to help Sehun up, Sehun doesn’t move. The screen goes dark quickly after and Luhan sits there horrified. He is no dancer, but he knows that that will severely cripple him or stop him completely from dancing.

 

“oh….my…god”

 

“Yeah” Jongin replies and Luhan jumps for a moment, having forgotten he was still on the phone.

 

“How bad is it?”

 

“…”

 

“Jongin? Answer me.” Luhan’s voice cracks and his throat feels tight. The only image in his head is of Sehun as he fell to the ground, face twisted in pain.

 

“Bad” Jongin is quiet.

 

“Oh..oh god sehun” Luhan feels sick.

 

“So-”

 

Luhan interrupts Jongin, “When is the next flight to Korea?”

 

He can practically hear the faintest smile in Jongin’s voice as he replies, “Two hours, I’ve booked you a seat.”

 

Still on the phone, Luhan rushes out of bed and starts throwing things into his suitcase, not concerned about what he is bringing. He writes a quick note to Yixing and tapes it on the coffee machine before stumbling out of the door. Somehow he manages to get a taxi and once he is safely on his way to the airport, Luhan thinks about ending the call with Jongin.

 

_My phone bill is going to be so expensive with this long of a international call,_ a part of him thinks sadly.

 

“I’ll be waiting at the gate for when you arrive.” Jongin says, as if sensing his thoughts, and hangs up.

 

Luhan checks the time. His flight boards at 5:15 and its 4:30. (Beijing swirls around him, humming, and sweeps Luhan into a stream of light and sound). He prays he can make the flight.

 

He barely makes it, flashing a quick smile at the harried flight attendants and falls into his seat, thoroughly exhausted and panting as he had run the length of the airport from security. His seatmate, some old man, looks at his frowning before turning back to his book. The entire flight he is restless, the adrenaline and panic of the situation still coursing through his veins making it impossible for him to fall asleep and his knee never stops bouncing. Luhan understands how important dancing is to Sehun and if he can’t dance, he has no idea who to do with himself. Angered at this cruel twist of fate, how everything was going good, Sehun had a job and loved what he was doing and then fate came in and clipped his wings, Luhan promises to try and help Sehun. As the plane lands, the flight only being a short hour and a half, Luhan swears he hears the old man beside him sigh in relief.

 

“Thank you for flying with AirChina. We are now landing at Incheon International Airport. The local time is 6:30am. We hope you enjoyed your flight.”

 

Luhan rushed out of the plane, probably faster than allowed but he does not care. He finds the baggage claim relatively quickly and makes his way to the gate. Luhan scans the entrance. There’s some other passengers milling about, a young mother asleep in a seat and whom he assumes is Jongin, rocking on the balls of his feet, exhausted.

 

He walks out to meet Jongin, and they greet each other before quickly making their way to Jongin’s car. The two get quite acquainted in the 45-minute drive to the hospital where Sehun is staying. Trading stories and trying to keep the mood light but the reality of the situation sits between them. Checking his appearance in the mirror before exiting the car, Luhan notices how dark the bags under his eyes are, they almost resemble black holes, and Jongin doesn’t seem to be faring any better.

 

At the entrance of the hospital, Jongin alerts Luhan that Sehun is staying in longterm care due to his injury. Together they make their way to his room. Luhan has never disliked hospitals but at this moment as he makes his way to Sehun’s room, he hates them with a fiery passion.

 

_This isn’t where Sehun should be. His place is on the stage._

 

Stopping before a door labeled “Oh Sehun 221”, Jongin turns to Luhan with a look on his face.

 

“It is really important that you are here Luhan. Sehun is wasting away in this room, he won’t eat and he won’t talk. Can you try to convince him? I have a feeling he will listen to you.” There’s something in Jongin’s voice that breaks Luhan’s heart. Sehun’s best friend sounds so genuinely concerned and distraught and Luhan gets hit with a bunch of respect for the young man in front of him.

 

For the sake of him, Jongin, and Sehun, he tries to respond strongly. “I’ll try”.

 

There’s a small, sad, smile at the corners of Jongin’s lips as he turns to open the hospital door.

 

“Thank you”.

 

Quietly, so as not to disturbed Sehun, Luhan walks in. Sehun is asleep in the bed, ghostly pale and skinny. It hurts Luhan so much seeing the other boy like this because he was so full of life when they had been together last and now he looks dead. He could have been, if not for the monitor beeping in the corner of the room reassuringly.

 

“I’ll be back…” Jongin tells him quietly from the doorway before leaving him alone.

 

Just like Jongin had said before entering, he really was in bad shape. There was a rigid cast holding his hip and on the medication board above his bed was a long list full of pain medication doses. Luhan could tell Sehun was hurting and that made him sad. He glances around the room and finds a plastic chair to drag to Sehun’s bedside. Sitting down in it, he hesitantly takes Sehun’s significantly bonier hand in his. The touch seems to wake Sehun up and his eyebrows furrow and he opens his eyes slowly. He stares at Luhan blankly and for a split second Luhan worries that Sehun doesn’t recognize him, but then something warm fills sehun’s eyes.

 

“Lu…Luhan?” Sehun’s voice is hoarse and quiet.

 

Luhan squeezes his hand gently, unsure how Sehun’s feeling at that moment. “Hey special someone”

 

That manages to crack a smile on Sehun’s face and Luhan squeezes his hand a bit harder, so glad that there is life in the boy in front of him. They don’t really talk, Sehun preferring to just sit there and enjoy Luhan’s pressence. Luhan doesn’t know how long they sit there, Sehun gripping his hand and Luhan tracing the features of Sehun’s face, albeit sunken, with his eyes. Somehow they are still beautiful to him. Some more time passes and then he feels the grip on his hand weaken as Sehun’s eyes flutter shut and he drifts off to sleep again. Slowly, as to not wake him, Luhan releases his grip and opens his Twitter, making a quick decision.

 

**@Lu_Han7 5s**

Due to some personal business that I have to attend to, I’ll be taking a break from my Youtube channel for a little while. Don’t worry, I am in good health but some things have come up that keep me busy. Sorry for this guys!!

 

He then answers all his missed messages from Yixing.

 

**LayXing 6:30am**

How goes it? Is he all right?

 

**LayXing 7:15am**

Yknow the polite thing to do would be to answer your phone.

 

**LayXing 8:00am**

Seriously, im worried. Please answer your phone.

 

**Luhan^-^ 8:30am**

Sorry! I just managed to open my phone! Hes at the hospital, longterm care, im rly worried….hes in bad shape but I think he’ll heal. Sorry for leaving x

 

**LayXing 8:34am**

Finally! Im sad to here about his condition. U gotta make sure he heals. Dancing is so important to him. And don’t worry about it xx

 

There’s a knock on the door of the hospital room and a nurse bustles in. Luhan jumps to his feet, shoving his phone in his pocket and makes to move. The nurse gives him a kind smile.

 

“Its alright, I just have to do a quick checkup.”

 

Embarrassed, Luhan stands to the side as the nurse gives Sehun his pain medication, checks his cast and other vitals. Once she’s done she turns to him.

 

“Are you a friend of his?”

 

Luhan looks at her, she’s smiling at him warmly.

 

“Y-yes…im here to help him..” He says the second part quieter but the nurse seems to catch it.

 

“Well I’m glad he’s got you. You’ve got help this one heal alright? He is a bit stubborn!” She adds lightly.

 

Luhan flushes and grins nervously.

 

“Yes Ma’am.”  


She smiles once more ( _Does she ever stop?_ Luhan wonders) and leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Once again, the only sound in the room is the beeping of the monitor and Luhan sighs, not liking the silence as he sinks back into the chair beside Sehun. The nurse’s words ring in his ears and he remembers the promise. Determinedly, he vows to follow through so that Sehun can dance once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow look at me double updating wooooooooo. Im sick so this is all im doing! I hope you enjoy this :)

**Author's Note:**

> So this is going to be 7 chapters long with 3 extras that are going to be posted within the series! I hope you enjoy :)


End file.
